ZHEJIANG ZHONGGUANG ELECTRICAL CO.,LTD.

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer ZHEJIANG ZHONGGUANG ELECTRICAL CO.,LTD. ("ZZEC") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

ZZEC : OUTES was founded in 2006. It is a national high - tech enterprise that takes heat pump technology as its core and integrates the R & D, production, sales, and service of air - source heat pumps, HVAC systems, water purification products, and fresh air systems.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

ZZEC : The reason why I became a designer is because I long for a stage where I can unleash my creativity and showcase myself, turning unique ideas in my mind into tangible works and gaining a sense of accomplishment from it. At the same time, I am passionate about using my professional skills to solve practical problems, gaining a deep understanding of user needs, breaking through various limitations, and finding innovative solutions. I also look forward to using design to improve people's living experience and contribute to the positive development of society and the environment. Moreover, I have a deep love for aesthetics, and constantly exploring and innovating aesthetic styles is also an important driving force for me to move forward.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

ZZEC : I choose to become a designer.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

ZZEC : My work across a range of design field, including graphic design, interior & spatial design, exhibition design, product design. It is difficult to choose which one is my favorite, if have to choose, I prefer product design, because it is more closer to our daily life.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

ZZEC : As someone who has been there before, I would like to say to young designers: first, build a solid foundation, master the basic knowledge of design principles, craftsmanship materials, etc., and maintain lifelong learning; Dare to break through again, draw inspiration from diverse fields, and boldly innovate; We also need to focus on polishing our works, actively seek feedback and optimize them, and accumulate experience in practice; Actively linking industry resources and expanding horizons through cross-border collaboration; Finally, carefully crafting a portfolio that reflects one's personal style and abilities - infusing passion into continuous cultivation, in order to approach design ideals through the tempering of time.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

ZZEC : Excellent designers can accurately solve problems and meet needs, and their works are professional and mature; Great designers break through boundaries, lead trends, convey ideas through their works, influence the times, and even reshape industry cognition and social values.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

ZZEC : A truly good design needs to have both functionality and emotional resonance: accurately addressing needs, evoking empathy with aesthetics or values, and being sustainable. Evaluate whether one has insight into the essence, breakthroughs in innovation, and the unity of details and the whole - it is the silent companionship of "using smoothly, observing smoothly, and warming the heart".

DL: What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?

ZZEC : Good design combines practicality and emotional value, optimizing experiences, solving problems, leading aesthetics, and even promoting social progress. Investing in excellent design can enhance the quality of life and stimulate innovative thinking, and its long-term value far exceeds material costs. It is a dual investment in efficiency and beauty.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

ZZEC : If I have time, I would like to design "barrier free and friendly public spaces" for ordinary people, focusing on aging friendly renovation and universal design in urban corners, so that people of different ages and physical conditions can equally enjoy the convenience of space, and use design to gently touch the details of life.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

ZZEC : Designing a "modular portable air conditioner" for urban migratory bird populations, with a magnetic split structure that adapts to multiple scenarios, intelligent temperature control that moves with the residents, and breaks through spatial limitations, is the air conditioning theme project I am waiting to implement.

DL: What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?

ZZEC : Deeply study the essence of user needs and find the design origin from pain points; Cross disciplinary capture of inspiration, reconstructing problems from unconventional perspectives; Adhere to detail obsession and repeatedly refine the dimensions of experience; Embrace iterative thinking and continuously evolve through feedback.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

ZZEC : One of the design masters who has influenced me the most is Sir Jonathan Ive, he is the chief design officer (CDO) of Apple Inc. we graduated from the same university, I think the most important thing he taught me is you have to make the real design model by your own hand, not just drawing.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

ZZEC : Philippe Starck's Juicy Salif, I think it is not just a product, it is a work of art in the kitchen.

DL: What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?

ZZEC : My greatest design is Inno Air Louvre. It is a heat - pump outdoor unit for air - conditioners. It can blow air over a wide angle, and its blades can rotate and close individually. When it detects pedestrians passing by, the blades automatically rotate or close to change the direction, thus solving the problem of traditional outdoor units blowing large amounts of air directly at pedestrians. This unit can also adjust the indoor fresh air. With an environmentally - friendly and aesthetic appearance, it supports customization.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

ZZEC : Improving design ability lies in the "input deconstruction reconstruction" cycle: immersing oneself in diverse inspirations, dissecting the problem-solving logic of excellent designs, challenging habitual practices with limited conditions, regularly reviewing works from an observer's perspective, and making design thinking a daily habit.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

ZZEC : I think I will become a painter.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

ZZEC : Design is like a thoughtful partner who provides support for life.

DL: Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?

ZZEC : There is no doubt that my team and friends.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

ZZEC : Observation, curious everything, take notice and make record of things others overlook.

DL: What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?

ZZEC : Eye reach, freedom of thinking and persistence.

DL: How do you think designers should present their work?

ZZEC : When designers showcase their works, they should succinctly point out the core values, present the thinking process, convey warmth through real scenes, and resonate through interaction.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

ZZEC : I focus on the design of heat pump air conditioning, with innovation and demand as the core, to improve energy efficiency and experience, promote the integration of technology and environment, and create efficient and comfortable sustainable solutions.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

ZZEC : Using design to make technology more warm, allowing every user to feel 'taken seriously' in details, and creating long-term value for people and the environment through sustainable solutions.

DL: What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?

ZZEC : Customers wants but expects you to deliver a amazing project he needs.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

ZZEC : By addressing needs, optimizing experiences, and delivering care, design aims to make facilities more inclusive, spaces more livable, and services more attentive, bridging social pain points with innovative solutions and building an equal and sustainable beautiful society.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

ZZEC : I’m currently deeply immersed in developing a smart home climate system that integrates heat pump technology with AI-driven environmental sensing. What excites me most is its dual focus: it adapts dynamically to users’ daily rhythms (like automatically optimizing temperature based on activity schedules) while minimizing energy consumption through predictive learning. The goal is to turn "sustainable living" into an intuitive, effortless experience—not just a concept. Every prototype iteration feels like a step closer to merging comfort, efficiency, and environmental care in a way that could redefine how we interact with our living spaces.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

ZZEC : I am most satisfied with the air conditioning design project because it was the first project I participated in in the air conditioning industry.

DL: What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?

ZZEC : We hope that the design industry will focus more on "humanistic care and sustainable coexistence", so that technological innovation and humanistic warmth can coexist, and use design power to promote the evolution of society towards a fair, low-carbon, and inclusive future.

DL: Where do you think the design field is headed next?

ZZEC : The design field will further integrate technologies such as artificial intelligence and biomimetic biology, guided by "intelligent user experience", "sustainable material application", and "scenario based social issues", and move towards a more forward-looking and ecological innovation stage.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

ZZEC : Spend time based on the complexity of the actual project.

DL: When you have a new design project, where do you start?

ZZEC : Research and brainstorming.

DL: What is your life motto as a designer?

ZZEC : Details are not details, they make up the design.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

ZZEC : Design and trends are a symbiotic relationship of two-way empowerment - designers use innovation breakthroughs to generate new trends, while social, cultural, technological evolution and other trends provide direction for design. The two work together to promote industry evolution in dynamic interaction.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

ZZEC : Technology is the 'implementation lever' for design implementation, providing feasible boundaries and innovative pivot points for creativity, transforming concepts from imagination to tangible, operational, and scalable reality.

DL: What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?

ZZEC : Photoshop, AI and Rhino.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

ZZEC : Color conveys emotions and recognition, materials determine functionality and texture, and the environment defines scenes and interactions, all of which together build the design experience.

DL: What do you wish people to ask about your design?

ZZEC : I hope people will ask, 'Whose real needs does this design solve behind it?'

DL: When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?

ZZEC : I would wonder: how did it accurately reach unspoken needs, and what innovations did it use to break existing boundaries?

DL: Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?

ZZEC : I think anyone can be my ideal design partner, in most cases , design is the collaborative innovation amongst different areas, so I believe in co-design.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

ZZEC : Anyone who can ask questions can always provide direction for polishing design inspiration.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

ZZEC : Design Psychology - Donald A. Norman

DL: How did you develop your skills as a master designer?

ZZEC : By continuously observing the details of life, breaking down the underlying logic of classic cases, repeatedly verifying the feasibility of creativity in practice, and maintaining an open absorption of interdisciplinary knowledge.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

ZZEC : I'd most want to meet Leonardo da Vinci — his boundless curiosity across art, science, and engineering, and his ability to bridge imagination with meticulous observation, would surely spark conversations that redefine how we see creativity itself.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

ZZEC : I think the awards just recognized for my professional level, but it does not represent all of my design capabilities.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

ZZEC : Deep green, Kyoto Arashiyama bamboo forest, matcha desserts, autumn, Moleskine notebooks, and MUJI are my favorite colors, locations, foods, seasons, items, and brands, each with their own unique design inspirations and aesthetic pursuits.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

ZZEC : Keep in a good mood, and set a schedule to do the little piece of work every day.

DL: When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?

ZZEC : When I was a child, I didn't have a clear prediction of becoming a designer, but my obsession with "breaking down the principles of things" and "reconstructing the world with a paintbrush" may have already planted the seeds of using creativity to solve problems.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

ZZEC : In a thousand years, technology may reshape life, and artificial intelligence will deeply integrate into daily life and overcome difficult diseases. Humanity is expected to achieve breakthroughs in interstellar exploration and build a global collaborative mechanism, but it may also face ethical challenges in resources and technology.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

ZZEC : Design should be people-oriented and meticulously crafted with attention to detail.